


Her Gift

by bisexualreina



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Domestic Fox Mulder/Dana Scully, Emily Lives, F/M, Post "Emily", Scully and Emily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:54:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27077578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexualreina/pseuds/bisexualreina
Summary: Emily never dies and Scully gets custody over her, and brings her back to Washington D.C. to try and get her settled.
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Comments: 4
Kudos: 68





	Her Gift

Scully’s knuckles grip the familiar brass of her front door, this time a wave of emotions filling her chest as a smaller hand clings to the one at her side. Emily stayed close while they silently climbed the stairs, her little legs much shorter than Dana’s long and slender ones, making her chest heave as she struggled to catch up at first.

Scully had fought long and hard for this little girl while she was under special treatment in California, undergoing legal battles, blood tests, gene matching, and everything in between to assure that Emily Sim would return home to Washington D.C. with her. There had been so many arguments, claims from her brother that this was just another way for Scully to numb that raw, burning pain from deep within her, the knowledge that she had been robbed of what she had come to want in the past few years. The words tearing her apart especially after the entirety of the Scully family had witnessed all that both Dana and Emily had gone through during what should’ve been the most wonderful time of year. 

Her heart ached for her, the poor three year old spending Christmas orphaned and hooked up to life saving machines, wailing and crying for someone to sit with her while doctors prodded and poked at her. Scully knew what that was like, barely surviving her own illness, she was now forced to relive it through a child, _her_ child.

Scully hadn’t been allowed into the room after a social worker promptly explained to her that she had no right over this poor girl who needed a home, who needed someone to fight for her. That is when Scully knew, when that tugging in her gut told her that this was her responsibility, not just as her biological mother, but just as the person there to find her, the one who couldn’t let her go when she found her at the top of the stairs frightened.

It had been a joyous day when the social worker informed her that she had won, that her paperwork had passed through the courts, and that she would be Emily’s trial foster mother while her petition for adoption went through, but she had assured her that her circumstance would take precedent, and that Emily would legally be hers by the end of the week.

Everything had moved quickly after that, and it was Scully’s job now to begin preparing for a child that she now _mothered._ It felt unreal, most women had at least nine months to prepare, not just tangibly, but to make that room in their hearts. Scully didn’t doubt that she cared for Emily, but there was a fear that she hadn’t grown into that role of a mother quite yet. Mulder had graciously flown out to help after an ugly squabble with Bill, not wanting to put Maggie between her two children whom were both going through monumental life changes.

He had shown up at the hospital with a stuffed dog under his arm and a takeout box of Chinese food for Scully to consume while Emily slept. He had watched the way she gazed at the child, and he knew that both of them would be just fine. Scully hadn’t taken a sick day in ages, and her frugal lifestyle told him that financially she was set, but he was also aware that those were not her only worries.

Scully was aware that now there was someone more important in her life, this little girl would take precedent, she would have to be the reason for everything she did. There would be no more chasing running trains, sneaking into government facilities, or secret rendezvous in the middle of the night, she had to provide for this little girl, all while keeping her emotionally cared for following the loss of both her parents.

She was scared, but she was ready.

The day Emily had been discharged was one that they both had been looking forward to, but also one that Scully may have been dreading. All nurses and aides, and social workers would be gone, and it would be up to her to raise Emily all on her own. She had purchased some clothes for her, a purple pair of overalls and a floral shirt, along with some socks, and boots for the airplane. Her mother had chastised her for not getting her a coat, claiming that even in California she’d catch a cold without outerwear, the first layer of discouragement hitting Scully as she stared down at the silent little girl who clung to her hand.

She breathed slowly and let it go, her mother would always have opinions, and this was always a factor whenever a child became a parent, plus she had bigger things to focus on. She slipped one of her large coats around Emily’s small frame and scooped her up and into her arms, she would figure it out as she went and prove to her mother that she had it all under control, even if she didn’t.

Mulder had offered to fly back with them, but she politely declined, wanting to prove to herself that she could travel with her _daughter_ in tow. It was a mere four hours in the air, and she had already purchased a coloring book, crayons, and neck pillow for Emily, trying to recall what she would use to occupy her godsons at this age. Plus she wanted time to get to know Emily, to begin their merge together as mother and daughter, and not as the woman who would keep watchful guard outside of her hospital room.

Although the flight always felt swift, this time it felt dragged out as the altitude popped her ears, causing her to erupt into a meltdown in her seat, screaming her head off while clutching her ears. Scully had no inkling of what to do or how to fix it, but all she knew was that people were staring. She had tried everything, giving her water, rubbing her back, trying to distract her, but nothing worked, and eventually she dug through her purse for a Benadryl that she kept for her allergies, or long plane rides when she knew sleeping would be an issue. She triple checked that it was safe for children and broke the small tablet in half just to be safe, slipping it under the wailing girl’s tongue.

She said a quick prayer and watched as she slowly began to calm down. It had terrified her, this girl hadn’t uttered more than three words to her since being released from the hospital, and her outburst nearly left her in shambles. She marveled in how Emily resembled Melissa, oh how she would know what to do in this situation. Even amongst their cousin’s children, Scully knew that Melissa was the favored aunt who would come up with silly games for them outside, while Scully found her place helping out where applicable, holding the babies, changing the diapers, and grabbing the food while Sandra breastfed her kids.

She was out of her element and feared that this would be their relationship, just tears and terror. Emily had finally drifted off in her seat, and her cheeks burned at the aggravated comments by other passengers around her, how desperately she wanted to turn around and verbally lacerate them, but she knew that would just make a bad situation worse. 

When the plane touched down she wasted little time scooping up the sleeping girl in one arm, balancing the bags and suit case with the other. She knew she’d need one of those carts to manage the bags, toddler, and car seat that she had checked, now regretting her decision to fly alone, but this was her reality, she had nobody to rely on but herself, and this little girl had nobody but her.

***

She sucked in a shaking breath and pushed the door open, smiling softly down at the little girl who grinned at the Christmas decor that she had put up before leaving for her brother’s. Scully slowly entered with Emily quietly taking it all in at her side, she had been confused, back home she lived in a house with two stories and a lawn and back yard, here she lived in an apartment that looked out on the city’s big Christmas tree in the park. 

Once Scully was sure she was in the house, she carefully shut the front door and knelt beside her, taking her other hand that was nervously fidgeting with her purple overalls. She wanted her to feel welcomed and safe in this new home of hers.

“Do you like your new apartment?” Scully asked softly, the little girl shrugging at her bashfully, trying to hide her face behind the woman’s shoulder, this all a bit much for her to take in. She swiftly licked her lips and nodded, brushing her thumb up and down her pudgy toddler hand, her skin soft despite the harsh antibiotics that the doctors had used on her.

She had prepared herself for this, but it was still disheartening to see her so nervous around her, but she didn’t want to push it, she had seen how that went for many eager adults, resulting in fear and tears. She heard the little girl whimper beside her and tug on Scully’s coat, still clad in the one that she had given her upon leaving for the airport, the long tail of it dragging behind her on the floor.

“Miss?” She stammered, unsure of what to refer to Scully as, making her chest tighten slightly, but she attentively listened, brushing a stray piece of hair out of her face so she could zero in on the girl who was shifting back and forth in front of her.

“Yes?” She smiled, watching her waddle up to her and bite down on her lip, almost as if she was unsure of the next part.

“I need to potty.” She revealed, making Scully freeze, still squatting in front of her like she had done numerous times in the field, but now completely paralyzed. 

“Oh, let me show you where the… _potty_ is.” She stammered, taking her hand as she led her down the hallway and into the bathroom that she made a mental note to childproof after this little one went down for the night.

“Alright…here is the potty…are you able to go on your own?” She asked before looking down at her small frame and the gaping size of the toilet seat, now fearing that she would just plummet in.

“Of course you can’t you’re _my_ child…” Scully muttered under her breath, astonished at how small Emily truly was on her two feet. She took a deep breath and smiled down at the little girl.

“Alright, let’s go potty.”

***

The night was what she had feared the most. Emily had spent her entire life in one home, in one bed that she had noted when examining her house during the crime scene. She had noticed purple, the color of her blankets, the flowers on her walls, and nearly every toy covered in shades of it.

Unfortunately Scully just had the spare blankets from her closet that she had made up on the guest bed in the room beside hers. They were beige and bland, nothing about them exciting or welcoming for a three year old girl who had just experienced some of the most confusing weeks of her short life. 

She looked minuscule tucked beneath them in the large full sized bed. Scully had debated whether or not to purchase something smaller, but ultimately she was on a tighter budget and figured that the full size would last longer than a tiny twin. Mulder had picked it up for her while they were still in California and set it up in the guest room before their return home, but she now questioned whether or not it was the correct choice.

She sighed and tucked the little girl in warmly, fluffing her pillows until she nodded that she was comfortable enough. She prayed that she would sleep well, her rest limited while doctors barged in at all hours of the night to do tests and blood draws and all the other invasive things that Scully hated about the hospital.

“How do you feel, Emily?” Scully finally asked, staring at the freshly bathed girl, her short hair matted against her cheeks the way Scully’s did when it wasn’t blow-dried out with her roller brush. She shrugged at her question and glanced over at the closet door that was gaping open, sliding under the covers so that only her eyes were visible to Dana.

_Monsters in the closet._

She gave her a knowing nod and padded over to shut it, leaning a chair up against it to ensure that it would remain shut, and any monsters would stay locked up until morning. Emily seemed to relax at that, but still remained silent, her big eyes staring up at the woman who would prove herself to be her biggest protector in this world. Dana knew that it would just take time, and gave her a trying smile, once again squeezing her hand before slipping off of the bed.

“Good night, Emily.” She breathed, clicking the lamp off to allow the moonlight to spill in and against her wide eyes. Dana slowly began to exit the room when she heard a little voice, making her turn and face the girl who’s chin now rested on the comforter.

“Don’t let the bed bugs bite.” She reminded, as if it were an urgent message needed to be relayed to the agent now turned parent. Scully smiled at the comment and nodded her head seriously towards her.

“I won’t, you don’t let them bite either.” She replied, quietly slipping out of the bedroom and into the living room to ensure that everything was locked, the only light being the Christmas tree guiding her path from the front door to her bedroom.

She sighed and shrugged off her clothes that still felt tent-like as she struggled to gain back some of her weight that had melted clean off her body while she battled her cancer, slipping on some pajamas. She would shower in the morning, tonight she felt like it was her duty to be available for the little girl in the room beside hers.

She slipped off her glasses as she climbed into bed, settling quietly before clicking her own light off, her worries and stressors crossing her brain as she turned to face the door, breathing it all out before drifting off to sleep.

She could feel a slight tugging on her arm, rendering her awake from her slumber. She reached over for her round glasses and glanced down at the tiny girl who was now nervously standing at the edge of her bed, her eyes barely reaching the edge.

“Emily? What’s wrong, honey?” Scully questioned, but she watched as her eyes filled up with nervous tears, her toes brushing against the others as she shifted in her spot. Dana felt her heart drop as she instantly tossed her blankets back, scooping the little girl onto the mattress beside her, unsure of whether or not to give her space, but Emily wasted no time climbing into her lap.

Scully’s heart broke as she felt the trembling of her tiny body, swiftly wrapping her arms around her as she nuzzled comfortably into her lap. She wasn’t wailing like the airplane, this more of a nervous whimper that she cried into her chest. 

“Do you want to stay with me tonight?” She questioned softly, but by the way things were looking, she doubted that Emily would be going back to her own bed. She waited a beat for an answer while slowly rubbing her shaking back, trying her hardest to calm her down with just sheer will. Her tiny fingers just clung to the silk of her top, tiny nails scratching against her skin.

Scully just pressed a kiss onto the top of her head and slowly laid them back onto the bed, rolling to her side to try and get comfortable, but Emily just reached up and wrapped her tiny arms around Scully’s neck, settling into that position before falling asleep.

Scully was awe stricken at how fast she had found her spot, how she instantly felt comfort in her arms, her heavy snores proof of how easily she had settled. She wanted to glance down, to see if she was sleeping peacefully, or if she was forcing it upon herself, but with each movement Emily just leaned in farther and farther into her embrace, causing Scully to just surrender herself to sleep.

***

Scully had awoken to a ringing of her telephone, causing her to wince, but the young girl just clung to her and remained sleeping, allowing her to exhale and softly answer.

“Scully.” Her only caller breathed, making her huff in frustration as she pulled the phone closer to her lips to prevent her from raising her voice to more than a whisper.

“Mulder, you can’t call me this early, Emily is still sleeping.” Scully chastised, but he swiftly apologized and urged her to quit speaking so that he could relay his message.

“I know she had sort of a shitty holidays, so I’m sending Santa by in about three minutes, so just make sure Emily is still asleep before Santa leaves.” She could hear him grinning, she had the same thought before Emily had come climbing into her bed, but knew that going out and secretly shopping for her before all of the holiday spirit was gone was nearly impossible, and leaving her with someone this early on was out of the question. She softly chuckled at him and paused, trying to think of what to respond to that with.

“I will make sure Emily is fast asleep for Santa’s arrival.” She grinned, hanging up the phone before settling back against her pillows, shifting the young girl with one arm.

As promised she heard the front door unlock, followed by some shuffling and grunting, telling me that what Mulder had purchased was more than what was acceptable of a work colleague, or even friend. She smiled and then perked up when she heard footsteps come around her door, poking his head in with that same goofy grin that he always had when checking up on her.

His stare softened as he laid eyes upon his partner cuddled up with her cub beneath the blankets, her arms wrapped around her protectively as the little girl clung to her neck. She seemed exhausted, but he knew she would just wave it off until Emily got settled into their new life and routine.

“Hi Santa.” Scully smirked, snapping him out of his gaze, making him jest and silently imitate a jolly laugh, causing his partner to roll her eyes tiredly, unmoving from her spot in bed.

“Santa left everything where it needs to be.” He winked, how he longed to stay, but he also knew that this was not his time, he would find his spot later on, but for now he was Santa, slipping in and out.

“Thank you.” Scully mouthed, her eyes heavy with fatigue, giving him his queue to be on his way, waving bashfully before wandering out of the room and eventually the apartment.

Scully allowed herself a few more hours of rest, her body perking up at the feeling of Emily rising, her grip on Dana’s neck less intense as she melted away, now simply holding onto her hand.

Scully could feel her brushing her fingers over her manicured nails, marveling at the shape and color, alerting her that she was indeed up and ready for the day. A rush of excitement filled Scully as she recalled what was waiting for her, to hopefully make her feel a little less nervous in the house.

“Hey Emily, guess who came while you were sleeping?” Scully whispered, making the little girl perk up and listen attentively to her mother who was now grinning at the young girl.

“Santa heard that you weren’t feeling well on Christmas, and he stopped by last night.” She revealed, watching her eyes light up from their nervous, reserved expression, clasping her hands to her mouth in excitement.

“Shall we go see what he brought?” Dana cried, the little girl nodding as she helped her off of the high bed and to the carpeted floor, her tiny frame clasping onto Dana’s hand and dragging her out of the room, her tiny feet shuffling across the wood in their socks.

Scully smiled as she stopped dead in her tracks, beaming up at the wrapped gifts that littered the living room, each individually wrapped and labelled, telling Scully that Mulder had been at this all night. Emily squealed at the sight and turned to the woman behind her, her excitement almost shifting into confusion before back to the joy that was invading her small frame.

She tugged on Scully’s pajama top, causing her to crouch down, somewhat amazed at the restraint she was displaying for a child her age, but nonetheless she listened attentively to what she had to say.

“Are these mine?” She questioned, making Scully nod eagerly, now wanting to offer her the entire world on a platter, the pure joy now coursing through her veins as she watched her relax into her role as a child.

“Yes.” Scully beamed, leading her over towards the tree, but Emily still waited, unsure of her answer, debating whether or not this was legitimate, causing Scully to chuckle softly and sink to the floor, urging her to do the same. However the little girl just padded over towards Scully and tilted her head in her direction.

“These aren’t mine.” She declared, now just confusing Scully, but the little girl shook her head, reaching over to place her dimpled hands against Dana’s cheeks, the contact making her shudder softly.

“Emily sweetie, what are you talking about?” Scully could barely whisper, but Emily just shrugged and tapped her fingers against her cheek, studying the woman in front of her who shared so many similarities with her.

“I got to go home with you. That’s all I wanted to do, and I did. Isn’t that my gift?” She questioned in confusion, her words punching Scully square in the chest as she stared at the little girl in front of her, no longer fighting her urge, pulling her into a warm embrace. She felt tears welling up when tiny arms hugged her back, squishing her cheek onto Dana’s shoulder. 

She had hoped and prayed for a child, and had made her peace with the fact that it wouldn’t be in the cards for her, but this love that she felt, it was a dream that she never wanted to wake up from.

This moment was her gift, this little girl who had come into her life when she had lost all hope, was now hers, sitting in _their_ living room celebrating Christmas. She couldn’t help but bat away tears before pulling back, Emily’s eyes curious as she studied the moisture falling down her cheeks.

“Are you sad?” She questioned, but Scully swiftly shook her head and smiled, this time her hands cupping her cheeks, reveling in the warmth of them, her health, and simply just her presence in the home. She couldn’t feel more overjoyed.

“No, Emily. I’m very happy because you’re my gift too."


End file.
